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Fuel Cells Bulletin April 2005
Linde’s proposed route runs through majorcenters of development as well as most Germanautomotive production sites. This would allowcarmakers, many of which already have hydro-gen vehicles, to test the viability of their powersystems in everyday use under real conditions.In a subsequent stage, the fueling station net-work could be expanded to other EU countries.
Contact: Linde AG, Wiesbaden, Germany. Tel: +49 6117700, www.linde.de
Or contact: e4tech, London, UK. Tel: +44 20 75948899, www.e4tech.com
BOC invests in HERA
Industrial gases giant BOC has becomea shareholder and co-owner of
hydride-based hydrogen storage spe-cialist HERA Hydrogen Storage Systemsof Québec. The transaction forms partof HERA’s second round of financing.
John Carolin, BOC’s global director of sus-tainable energy, says that storage is a key chal-lenge for the deployment of hydrogen fuel cellsand other hydrogen applications. ‘HERA’s recentnanocatalyst invention is poised to have a signif-icant impact on our ability to find a practicalsolution to this challenge,’ he says.
HERA’s president/CEO Clemens van Zeyladds that BOC’s expertise in the safe and effi-cient supply of hydrogen to customers comple-ments the skills and knowledge of HERA’sexisting investors, Shell Hydrogen Projects andHydro-Quebec CapiTech.
BOC and HERA are already collaboratingalongside Membrane Reactor Technologies on athree-year, DOE-funded project to develop anadvanced hydrogen generation and delivery sys-tem [FCB, February]. BOC is participating in anumber of other high-profile hydrogen technol-ogy demonstration projects.
Contact: HERA Hydrogen Storage Systems Inc,Longueuil, Québec, Canada. Tel: +1 450 651 1200,www.herahydrogen.com
Or contact: John Carolin, Global Director – HydrogenEnergy, BOC Group, Windlesham, UK. Tel: +44 1276807380, Email: [email protected],www.boc.com/markets/hydrogen_energy
GM, Hydrogenics startfuel cell forklift trial
General Motors of Canada andHydrogenics have successfully
demonstrated the operation of a fuelcell powered forklift truck at the start
of a trial of two such vehicles at GMCanada’s car plant in Oshawa, Ontario.The demonstration also included anon-site Hydrogenics HyLyzer™ hydro-gen refueling station.
Over the past year, Hydrogenics and a con-sortium of technology and end-use partners(including GM Canada) have been working todevelop, demonstrate and advance fuel cellforklifts towards commercialization [FCB,December 2003]. Two Class 1 forklifts provid-ed by NACCO Materials Handling Group havebeen fitted with Hydrogenics HyPM fuel cellpower modules, with NAACO and Deere &Company assisting with the integration.Hydrogen provided by the HyLyzer refuelingstation is stored on-board in a certified 350 bar(5000 psi) lightweight hydrogen storage systemprovided by Calgary-based Dynetek Industries.The compact and easily transportable HyLyzerprovides refueling in a fraction of the time forbatteries to be changed or recharged on a bat-tery-powered forklift, say the partners.
The forklift project is financially supportedby a C$1.45m (US$1.2m) contribution fromSustainable Development Technology Canada,with an additional C$1.98m (US$1.65m) commitment from the Hydrogenics-led consor-tium [FCB, June]. In addition to GM Canada,NACCO and Deere, consortium membersinclude FedEx Canada and the CanadianTransportation Fuel Cell Alliance.
Contact: Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga,Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660,www.hydrogenics.com
Or contact: Sustainable Development TechnologyCanada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 613 2346313, www.sdtc.ca
Or contact: Dynetek Industries Ltd, Calgary, Alberta,Canada. Tel: +1 403 720 0262, www.dynetek.com
Lincoln Composites tosupply fuel tanks for GTIhydrogen stations
In the US, Lincoln Composites hasbeen selected by the Gas Technology
Institute (GTI) to provide high-pressurestorage tanks for two hydrogen fuelingapplications, according to a report fromNetComposites.com. The 483 bar (7000psi) all-composite, Type IV Tuffshell Lfuel tanks will be produced in theLincoln manufacturing facility for deliv-ery in May.
GTI is working on a project in conjunctionwith the Department of Energy to produce twohydrogen fueling stations: a stationary 50 kg/day,
high-pressure hydrogen fueling station usingreformed natural gas, and a trailer-mountedportable fueling station for short-term hydrogenvehicle demonstration activities.
A fueling station used to fill hydrogen vehiclesto 350 bar (5000 psi) requires a storage systemoperating at higher pressures. LincolnComposites believes its 483 bar Tuffshell tanksare an ideal fit for this application, as they arecapable of high operating pressures while provid-ing the cycle life necessary for a fueling station.To demonstrate the cycle life, durability and per-formance of its Tuffshell technology, the compa-ny recently subjected a 350 bar tank to morethan 500 000 cycles at 125% of service pressure.
According to Bill Liss, director of HydrogenEnergy Systems at GTI, Lincoln Composites’slargest high-pressure vessels are price competi-tive with steel and cheaper than alternativecomposite storage vessels for stationary uses.For the portable hydrogen station, the combi-nation of price and light weight makes theLincoln containers attractive, says Liss.
In addition to 350 bar and 483 bar tanks, in2002 Lincoln unveiled a 700 bar hydrogen tank[FCB, July 2002].
Contact: Lincoln Composites, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.Tel: +1 402 464 6611, www.lincolncomposites.com
Or contact: Hydrogen Energy Systems Center, GasTechnology Institute, Des Plaines, Illinois, USA. Tel:+1 847 768 0753, www.gastechnology.org
Dunlop joins program to commercialize CeresSOFC generator
In the UK, Dunlop Aerospace is joiningthe program to commercialize Ceres
Power’s intermediate-temperatureSOFC, which operates at 550–600°C andcan utilize widely available fuels likeliquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and nat-ural gas, as well as hydrogen. Ceres, aspin-off from Imperial College London,has recently been collaborating withBOC on pre-commercial trials of thefuel cell using LPG [FCB, November].
Following successful testing of the fuel cell,Ceres reports that a prototype development pro-gram is under way, focusing on complete powercogeneration units for home boilers, stand-alonegenerators and other products. Dunlop will playa key role in this development work, says Ceres,with components that exploit the ability of theSOFC to operate on widely available hydrocar-bon fuels. Tapping into existing gas networkswill allow a commercial Ceres fuel cell system tobe introduced immediately, adds the company.
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